Mass production of the redesigned vehicle started Monday. The milestone minivan, a smoky topaz Touring Elite model, was ceremoniously driven off the assembly line this morning amid the cheers of about 1,200 employees at the automaker's Lincoln plant.

"What started out a few years ago as a dream today becomes a reality," said Chuck Ernst, senior vice president of Honda's Alabama operations.

The Odyssey accounts for about two-thirds of the output at the 4,000-worker Lincoln plant. Workers began planning and training to build the updated minivan more than three years ago.